Video: “How I Wrote Whiplash” Writer-director Damien Chazelle reflects on his Oscar-winning 2014 movie.
Page One: “The Old Man & the Gun” (2018) Written by David Lowery, based on the New Yorker article by David Grann
“Give me Heart concept every time.” That’s a note worth tacking up onto the wall. Thanks, J! Keep reading scripts. We learn from all of them, no matter how good or bad.
Interview (Part 6): Leigh Cesiro and Erica Matlin My interview with 2021 Black List writers for their script Cruel Summer.
Conflict in Scene-Writing As a screenwriter, it’s important to get in touch with your inner Conflict-O-Meter to ensure your scenes convey compelling drama.
Great Scene: “The Matrix” “You take the blue pill, the story ends… you take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland.”
Judy, here is the first page of the American Graffiti script. The script may be “old” stylistically, but it still holds up as a movie.
Interview (Part 5): Leigh Cesiro and Erica Matlin My interview with 2021 Black List writers for their script Cruel Summer.
Writing and the Creative Life: Creativity-In-Action “Creativity requires more than a dream. In many cases, people struggle to turn their dreams into a reality not because they lack ambition…
Tips on How to Write While Holding Down a Job Some practical advice to engender productivity even while working full-time.
Interview (Part 4): Leigh Cesiro and Erica Matlin My interview with 2021 Black List writers for their script Cruel Summer.
The Writer as Psychologist “It is our responsibility to understand each of characters to the core of their emotional, spiritual, and psychological being.”
The Business of Screenwriting: Celebrate your victories Based on my experiences as a screenwriter in Hollywood, there are many things I can advise you to do that are not particularly enjoyable…
Page One: “Now You See Me” (2013) Screenplay by Ed Solomon and Boaz Yakin & Edward Ricourt, story by Boaz Yakin & Edward Ricourt
Narrative Imperative: The Protagonist’s Destiny Reflections by Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell invert the writing process.
Interview (Part 3): Leigh Cesiro and Erica Matlin My interview with 2021 Black List writers for their script Cruel Summer.
The Theology of Cinema: Conversion A character transforming from their Old Self into a New Self is a narrative arc we see time and time again, a kind of “conversion”…
Great Scene: “A Serious Man” This 2009 movie by Joel and Ethan Coen is not only an homage to their Jewish upbringing, but also to the Old Testament book of Job.
Page One: “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) Screenplay by Caroline Thompson, adaptation by Michael McDowell, story and characters by Tim Burton
